Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1810, 1877, 1949-2004
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SHALDER, n. Also shaalder, schalder, sc(e)older, shelder. The oyster-catcher, Haematopus ostralegus (Ork. a.1795 G. Low Fauna Orcad. (1813) 91, sceolder, Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., schalder, 1914 Angus Gl., Sh. 1970). See also Chalder, n.2, Skelder. [′ʃɑldər]Sh. 1810 Scots Mag. (July) 521:
Flocks of chalders, or scolders, regularly spend the winter about the rocky shores of Noss Island.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 68:
The scream of the frightened shelder.Sh. 1949 New Shetlander (Mar.–Apr.) 11:
The Oyster-catcher, or shalder, with its gaily decorative pattern of black and white body, red legs and beak.Sh. 1992 Bobby Tulloch A Guide to Shetland's Breeding Birds 38:
OYSTERCATCHER
(Haematopus ostralegus)
shet: Shalder. Sc. 2004 Scotsman 10 Jul 29:
The journey isn't without incident. I'm attacked by hideous bonxies (great skuas), dive-bombed by Stuka-like tirricks (arctic terns), pleepsed at by irritating shalders (oystercatchers), ...
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"Shalder n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 4 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/shalder>
